Cigar lighter



March 30 1926.

S... E. GUINN CIGAR LIGHTER original Filed April 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snom/do@ March 3o ,'1926.

S. E. GUINN CIGAR LIGHTER original Filed April 8. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Hommell Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES- UBL E. GUINN', OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE, ABSIGNOR T0 S'. E. GUINN KANU- I'ACTURING CO., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PATENT oFFlcE.

crean. Henman.

Application led April 8, 1922, Serial No. 550,877. Renewed July 80, 1925.

I To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. GUINN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Johnson City, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a cigar lighter, designed particularly to provide an ornamental structure having the maximum surface area for the display of advertising matter and adapted to utilize gas as fuel; the construction providing for the flow of gas to the ignition point only as the lighter is desired for use, and to ignite this gas by a spark' produced through the use of pyrophoric material simultaneous with the flow of gas to the ignition point.

The invention comprises a casing preferably of diamond shape in cross section to present 'two angularly related front faces adapted for the reception of advertising matter, the spaces thus provided having means permitting the convenient change of the advertising matter as may be desired. A gas -pipe extends through one wall of the casing to permit connection with the service pipe, said gas pipe extending upwardly through the casing and leading into a'valve casing, and from said valve casing to an outlet or burner. A spring pressed valve normally closes the gas conduit in the valve casing, and a handle is mounted on the valve casing for manual operation to open the valve and permit the fiow of gas to the burner or outlet. Immediately adjacent the gas outlet or burner is arranged the pyrophoric material holder and the abrading element therefor, the operating handle being adapted in movement to open the valve to operate the pyrophoric material to cause the necessary spark for the ignition of the gas at the outlet or burner.

The flow of gas to the burner, and thereby the iiame, may be maintained at the will of the user through simple pressure on the handle, the initial handle pressure producing the spark. The lighter is therefore particularly economical as compared with the present cigar lighters using gas, in that the gas is consumed only during the lighting operation, and is automatically cut of by the release of the handle by the user.

Ia the drawings:

proved cigar lighter taken from the rear.

2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

F1g. 4 isavertical section through the valve casing.

Fi 5 is a sectional detail of the holder for t e pyrophoric material.

' Fig. 6 is a detail cross section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detailside elevation of the igniter illustrating the position of the parts in full line at about the time the igniter actuating lever is to be released, and the hand lever in dotted lines after actuation of the igniter.

Fig. 8 is a igniter.

The improved lighter comprises a hollow casing 1 of the construction shown in my companion application filed of even date,

the casing being made up preferably of front and rear'. metallic strips 2 and 3, each presenting angularly related surfaces, so that when the strips are assembled, the casing is of approximately diamond shape. There is thus provided four advertisin panels, in which advertising matter, indlcated at 4, may be arranged and held by vvertically extending retainers 5, cooperating with the side edges of adjacent. panels. These retainers, which are preferably metallic strips, have fiat bearing sections 6 to be secured to the casing by screws 7 and retaining edge portions 8 which overlie the edges of the advertising matter,-or more preferably a glass sheet or section 9, which overlies the advertising matter.

As the diamond shape casing has a major diameter or dimension materially exceeding the minor dimension, there is presented two advertising faces, which will always serve as front faces, and while the rear faces are equally serviceable for thereception of advertising matter, it is of course apparent that such display space is not as valuable as the front display space. Thus, the particular form of the casing is of importance display of each. The advertising matterv view in perspective of the a may be renewed by removing the retainers, the end retainers being preferably formed with keyhole slots 10 to permit complete separation of said retainers when necessary without complete removal of the screws 7. By this arrangement, it is not necessary to entirely remove the remaining retainers in renewing or replacing advertising matter.

The casing is provided with a comparatively heavy base block 11, through which is formed a gas conduit 12, opening through. one corner to permit the application of a service pipe thereto. The gas conduit 12 extends vertically through the cent-ral portion of the base block and is connected to a gas pipe 13 which leads through the top 14 of the casing. A valve casing 15 is connected by a. nipple 16 to the'gas pipe 13, said valve casing having an extension 17, With which the nipple 16 is connected, the extension forming a gas conduit. The valve casing 15 is formed immediately above the extension 17 with a transverse )bore 18, and threaded in this bore is a pipe section 19, the channel 20 of which communicates with a channel 21 extending vertically of the casing. One end of the pipe section 19 is headed at 22, to limit the position of the said section in the bore 18, the opposite end of the pipe section being formed to provide a valve seat 23, which is positioned at one side of the gas conduit leading through the extension 17. A valve 24 cooperates with the valve seat 23, and is mounted upon a stem 25, which extends lengthwise the pipe secv tion 19 and beyond the head 22, a suitable packing gland 26 preventing leakage around the stem. A cap 27 closes the opposite end of the bore 18, spring 28 being arranged in the cap to maintain the valve normally closed. A ,bore 30 is arranged in the upper end of the valve casing to receive a gas pipe 'section 31, this gas pipe section communicating with the channel 21, the admission of gas to the pipe section v31 being controlled in degree by a needle valve 32. The end of the gas pipe Y'section 31 is provided with a box-like member 33 and terminally provided within said box-like member with an appropriate outlet or burner.

The box-,like section 33 is slotted at 34 through the top. bottom, and one side-edge, and a holder for pyrophoric material is movable in this slot. The holder comprises an upright portion 35 guided in' the slot and having lateral projections 36 and 37 arranged in line and of tubular form, thus providing a channel 38. A section of pyrophoric material 39 is slidably mounted in the channel 38 and heldprojected beyond the end of projection 36 soI as to cooperate with an abrading element 40 removably Secured in the box-like section 33, by a spring 41 a1'- ranged in the channel 38 and adjustable therein by a cap 42 threaded upon the projection 37. Thus the desired degree of contact can be maintained between the pyrophorio material and the abrader 40, and furthermore the adjustment of the cap permits the continued adjustment of the pyrophoric material as it is worn away inuse. "I` he housing is formed with a recess 40a and in spring being secured at 46 to the upper end .of the pyrophoric material holder. An operatin'g lever 47 is pivotally mounted at 48 on the box-like section 33 and has one arm 49 connected to the pyrophoric material holder, and the other arm extended toward the valve casing and having a lateral Lerminal 50. y

An operating handle 51 is pivotally mounted at 52 upon the valve casing. One end of this handle is projected and conveniently formed at 53 for operation by the user, aud within the handle, which is preferably ot sheet metal and in U-form, is pivotally supported at 54 a valve opener 55, yieldingly held in one position by a spring 56 coiled about an extension of pivot 52 with one end seated at 57 in an opening in the valve opener, and the other end secured to the valve casing at 58. The free end of the valve opener is in such relation to the handle that when the latter is depressed, said valve opener will engage the valve stem 25 and operate the valve 24 to permit an uninterrupted flow of gas to the pipe section 31. The opposite end of the handle is provided withA a trip 59 pivotally Supported at 60 and having an operative end 61 in the path of the latter extension 50 of the operating lever 47 for the pyrophoric material holder. The operative end of the trip is prevented from down- Ward movement by a lug 62 on the handle and yieldingly held in this position by a spring 63 connected to the trip and to the handle. The spring 56 serves to maintain the handle 51 in a position to hold the valve.

opener 55 away from the valve stem 25 and the trip 59 below the lateral extension 50 oi' the lever 47. In this position. the gas is cut olif and the pyrophoric material holder is in normal or elevated position.

With the parts arranged as described. it :is obvious that actuation of the handle will first depress the holder for the pyrophoric material by the cooperation of the trip 59 with the operating lever 47, thus placing the spring 43 under tension. Before this movement of the holder is completed, the valve opener engages and opens thel valve 24. Simultaneously With or immediately succeeding the opening of the valve, the trip 59 is freed from the lever 47, owing to the opposite arcuate movement-s thereof, and the spring 43 moves the holder 35 rapidly downward, causing the pyrophoric material. 39 to wipe across the abi-ader 40 and produce a spark, thus igniting the gas flowing through the outlet or burner of pipe section 31. The resultant flame is in the form of a jet projecting horizontally, and may be obviously maintained as long as desired by simply maintaining the handle 51 in operative position. After use of the llame, the handle 51 is released and the parts resume their normal position, the trip 59 riding past the projection 50 of lever 47, as will be obvious.

The device as a Whole is intended as an ornamental display structure, to be arranged on the counter orlshow case of the store, and to continually present to the customer the advertising matter carried bv the casing. The desired flame is instantly produced through pressure on the handle, may be maintained as long as is necessary, and yet when the device is not in actual use for lighting purposes, there is no flow and therefore no consumption of gas. The pyrophoric material may be used for substantially its full length, through the adjustment provided, 'and may be conveniently and readily renewed when necessary in an obvious manner; The horizontal flame produced by the device is of particular value, as thereby a pipe can be conveniently lighted While the bowl is held in an uprlght or normal position, thereby overcommg one of the disadvantages of the usual vertical-flame types of these devices.

If desired, and as preferred, the structure may be completed by providing' a cigar cutter as 64, and removably securing the same upon the cover of the casing l, as at 65.

Claims:

1. A cigar 1ighter, including a casing having a forward face presenting panel receiving advertising spaces, a gas conduit passing through the casing and extending above the same, a valve casing mounted upon the upper end ofthe conduit, a gas conduit passing through the valve casing, a gas pipe leading from said conduit and extending beyond the valve casing, a pyrophorie igniter supported on said pipe, a valve in the valve casing for controlling the gas passage therethrough, and a handle mountedon the valve casing for operating the valve and pyrophoric igniter.

2. A cigar lighter,including a casing having a forward face presenting panel receiving advertising spaces, a gas conduit passing through the casing and extending above the same, a valve casing mounted upon the up- `actuating the igniter lever.

3. A cigar lighter includinga pyrophoric igniter, a fuel supply pipe terminating in a burner adjacent said 'igniter, a slidably mounted valve in said pipe, a pivoted handle on the fuel supply pipe, a trip pivoted to the` handle and disposed to engage the valve when the handle is operated in one direction, a spring tensioned to return the handle to normal position and engaging the trip to cushion same when operating the valve, and means between one end of the handle and the pyrophoric igniter to set the latter for subsequent automatic operation.

4. A cigar lighter including a pyrophoric igniter, means for automatically operating same, a fuel supply terminating in a burner adjacent said igniter, a slidably mounted valve in said pipe, a pivoted handle on the pipefor operating the igniter andthe valve in each operative movement of the handle, the operative movement of the lhandle actuating the/slidable valve for the passage of fuel through the pipe and setting the automatic igniter operating mechanism, means for automatically closing the valve when the l handle is vreturned to normal position, and means permitting movement of the handle in valve operated direction independent'of the valve after said valve is operated.

5. A cigar lighter comprising a. pyrophoric ignlter, a fuel supply pipe terminating in a burner adjacent said igniter, a valve casing in the fuel supply pipe, a slidably mounted valve in the casing, a handle pivoted to the casing, a valve actuating element pivoted to the handle and disposed to operate the valve when the handle is manually operated in one direction, a springl for automatically returning the handle to normal position, a trip pivoted to the handle and having a bevelled edge, a lug on Athe handle to limit the movement of the trip in one direction, a spring to normally hold the trip against the lug, and an igniter setting element disposed in the path of movement of the pivoted trip, whereby When the handle is manually operated the valve Will be operated and the trip will engage the igniter setting element for automatic operation of the igniter.

6. A cigar lighter including a pyrophoric igniter, a fuel supply terminating in a burner adjacent said igniter, a valve casing,

a valve in the casing, said valve being actuated when the handle is manually operated, a spring for returning the handle to normal position, an igniter trip pivotally mounted on the handle and provided with a bevelled edge, a lug extending from the handle to limit the movement of the trip in one direction, and a setting element extending from lthe igniter and disposed in the path of the trip, whereby When the handle 1s operated the trip will engage and disengage the setting element to cause automatic operation of the igniter and upon return of said handle to normal position the bevelled edge of the trip will engage said setting element and ride thereover and to position for a subsequent setting operation.

7. A cigar lighter including a casing, a 'gas conduit passing through the casing and extending beyond the same, a valve casing formed with a gas conduit and mounted on the gas conduit, a gas pipe leading from the conduit in the casing, a pyrophoric igniter supported on said pipe, a valve in the valve casing for controlling the gas passage therethrough, and a handle mounted on the valve casing for operatingy the valve and pyrophoric igniter.

8. A cigar lighter including a casing, a gas conduit passing through the casing and extending beyond the same, a valve casing formed with a gas conduit and mounted on the gas conduit, a gas plpe leading. from said gas condult 1n the casing, a pyrophorlc igniter supported on said pipe, a lever for operating the igniter in one direction, a valve controlling the passage of gas through l the valve casing, and a'handle on the valve ing formed with an opening which communicates at one end with the as passage, a spring seated valve mounted 1n the opening to control the passage of gas, the casing being formed with a gas conduit which communicates with the opening onthe opposite side of the valve, a needle valve in the casing to control the gas conduit, a burner in communication with the gas conduit in the casing, a pyrophoric igniter, and a handle for operating the valve and p rophoric igniter.

10. A cigar lighter inc udmg a casing, a gas conduit passing through the casing and extending beyond the same, a valve casing formed with a gas duct and mounted upon the gas conduit, a burner communicating with the gasy duct, a pyrophoric igniter adjacent the burner, a valve in the valve casing for controllin the gas passage therethrough, a han le pivoted to the casing, said handle in one direction of its movement engaging the valve to open same to admit gas to the burner and in such. movement set the pyrophoric igniter for operation, and spring means for operating the pyrophoric igniter after same is set by movement of the handle.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

SAMUEL E. GUINN. 

